How Michael Grimm Participated in Congress’ “War on the Environment.”

As the 113th Congress draws to a close, the performance of the Republican-led House of Representatives is described by the League of Conservation Voters as an “unprecedented assault on the environment and public health that began during the 112th Congress. Although Congress started 2013 with votes to provide disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, it’s painfully clear that far too many members failed to heed the lessons of that tragic storm.”

The League of Conservation Voters is a non-profit organization. It endorses political candidates, both Republican and Democrat, who champion “priority” environmental issues, such as clean water, clean air and combatting climate change.

Of its 27 representatives, New York will be sending nine Republicans to the upcoming 114th Congress. Three are newly elected, Lee Zeldin (Long Island), Elise Stefanik (Adirondack Mountains and the Thousand Islands region), and John Katco (Syracuse area, Cayuga, Onondaga, Wayne, and Oswego counties).

Michael Grimm is the only Republican representative in Congress from New York City.

Democratic staff for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have compiled a searchable database of House votes on environmental legislation. They report that, as of September, 2014, the House “has voted 223 times to block action to address climate change, to halt efforts to reduce air and water pollution, to undermine protections for public lands and coastal areas, and to weaken the protection of the environment in other ways.”

Michael Grimm’s Environmental Voting Record in the 113th Congress

Michael Grimm represents Staten Island, which suffered the greatest physical devastation and loss of life during Hurricane Sandy. Sections of the island are increasingly vulnerable to rising seas and dangerous storm surges linked to climate change.

Grimm’s voting record is worth examining, both because he represents communities on the front line of climate change, and because he reflects the dominant ideology in Congress.

The League of Conservation Voters ranks members of Congress on a scale of 1 to 100 (100 being highest) relative to their voting record on environmental issues. Grimm scored 14 on the League’s scorecard.

According to the League’s analysis, Grimm’s voting record in the 113th Congress shows a lack of interest in climate change, a focus on undermining environmental review processes, and particularly strong support for the oil and gas industries. For instance, Grimm voted to stop the federal government from examining the economic costs of climate change when it makes public policy decisions.

Grimm also voted against an amendment reversing an 81 percent cut to the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program. The amendment would have restored $329 million in federal investment in “cutting-edge renewable energy technologies.”

Grimm voted to restrict the federal government’s ability to establish baseline protective standards for hydraulic fracturing. The same legislation delays the EPA’s Congressionally-mandated study of the impact of fracking on drinking water sources. Grimm also voted against allowing the Department of Interior to control methane emissions from drilling activities on public lands. Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, and it contributes to smog.

Grimm voted in favor of legislation removing the requirement for a Presidential Permit to build the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, “eliminating the Obama administration’s ability to complete adequate safety and environmental impact studies on the project.”

Grimm also voted in favor of expanding off-shore drilling off the coasts of South Carolina, Virginia, California and in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. According to the League of Conservation Voters, the same legislation weakens the environmental review process for off-shore drilling.

No aspect of the nation’s environment was off limits to Grimm and his Republican colleagues. Grimm voted against more safeguards for nuclear power, and against enhanced protections for oceans and the Great Lakes. He supported the expansion of logging in publicly-owned forests.

An Interest in Undermining Environmental Laws & Public Oversight

Grimm and his colleagues supported legislative efforts to undermine EPA enforcement of environmental protections like the Clean Air, Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts. Grimm voted against a bill amendment seeking to re-establish U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authority over clean water standards for streams and wetlands that feed drinking water sources. He also voted against a related amendment reestablishing ACE authority over mountaintop removal activities that impact local water supplies.

But perhaps most striking is Grimm’s support for legislation that challenges public oversight. He voted against an amendment to protect the environmental review process established under the National Environmental Policy Act. This process preserves the public’s ability to participate in decisions that have “profound impacts on their safety, the environment and the economy,” concluded the League of Conservation Voters.

How Did New York’s Representatives Perform?

In the first session of the 113th Congress, representatives Nydia Velazquez, Yvette Clarke, Jerrold Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, Charles Rangel, Joseph Crowley, and Nita Lowey, all from New York City except Lowey, were the highest scorers from New York State.

Chris Collins, Thomas Reed, Richard Hanna, Peter King and Michael Grimm had the lowest scores within the New York delegation.

How Did Your Representative Perform?

New York’s Congressional representatives are listed below by district. Their environmental voting scores, according to the League of Conservation Voters, are bolded. Find your Congressional representative here.